Antique & Vintage Postcards

A 21-inch Tête Jumeau bisque-head doll stands in uncanny dialogue with Renoir's "Girl with a Watering Can," her velvet-and-lace costume a meticulous replica of the painted child's dress, her feathered blue glass eyes gazing with porcelain serenity beside the canvas that inspired her — a surreal and beautiful collision of fine art and antique doll craft. The Tête Jumeau, produced by the celebrated French doll maker Maison Jumeau in the late 19th century, is among the most prized of all antique dolls; this particular example features a closed mouth, applied ears, unjointed wrists, and a marked head and body, all premium characteristics among serious collectors. The postcard was produced by International Graphics, Inc. of Hollywood, Florida, with photography by Studio One of Adams, Massachusetts, suggesting the doll may have been part of a private collection in western Massachusetts. The juxtaposition of the three-dimensional doll against Renoir's two-dimensional masterpiece — both dressed identically — creates a memorable image that appeals equally to doll enthusiasts, fine art lovers, and postcard collectors.